Your flight was cancelled. The airline blamed a strike. Case closed? Not necessarily. Under EC 261/2004, who is striking matters more than the word "strike" in a rejection letter.
Airline staff strikes vs. third-party strikes
- Strike by the airline's own pilots, cabin crew, or ground staff → compensation may still be due
- Strike by air-traffic controllers, airport security, or baggage handlers not employed by the airline → often classified as extraordinary circumstances
- Grey areas exist, courts look at who employed the strikers and whether the airline could have prevented the disruption
What you still get when compensation does not apply
Even when a third-party strike blocks compensation, you retain rights to care (meals, hotels) and re-routing or a refund. Do not accept silence from the airline as the final answer.
Airlines frequently blur the distinction in rejection letters. Send us the airline's response, the specific facts of each case matter.
How Compensall handles strike cases
Strike claims require careful analysis of timing, who was striking, and what the airline knew in advance. Upload your boarding pass and any airline correspondence, our assistant and team review the circumstances and pursue your claim when the law supports it.
